Refrigerator with frigorific inertia mass



March 27, 1962 A. c. J. ERB 3,026,689

REFRIGERATOR WITH FRIGORIFIC INERTIA MASS Filed Nov. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 l 37 2/ hwewroe ALB/5e? Cup/e45: Jazzs [e5 A. C. J. ERB

March 27, 1962 REFRIGERATOR WITH FRIGORIFIC INERTIA MASS -27 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1959 1445527 (H/W455 Jazz-'5 [as 51 art fie 3,026,639 REFRIGERATQR WITH FRKGQREFIQ ENERTIA MASS Albert Charles Jules Erb, 6 Rue du Marechal Joifre, Le Vesinet, France Filed Nov. 2, 1959, er. No. 850,139 Claims priority, application France Nov. 12, 1958 4 (Ilaims. (Cl. 62-426) Household refrigerators are thermally lagged cabinets provided with a source of cooling energy capable of refrigerating various commodities for preserving them (eventually for freezing them) and for producing ice blocks in suitable removable ice molds.

In compression refrigerators, the production of freezing conditions essentially results from low pressure vaporization of a liquid cooling fluid, the vapors thus evolved being cooled down to the liquid state by a mechanical compression and a cooling process in a heat exchanger.

Consequently a household refrigerator usually comprises a'cooling chamber and a freezing compartment often called freezer in which a temperature under zero degree centrigrade prevails While in said cooling chamber the prevailing temperature may be adjusted for example to five degrees centigrade.

Vaporization of the cooling fluid takes place in one or several evaporators. During the operation of the refrigerator, each evaporator is at a very low temperature so that icing occurs on its walls. It is known that such ice interferes With proper efficiency of the refrigerator and should be removed from time to time when there is need for such removal. For that purpose, the user must gen- .erally stop the operation of the refrigerator, say once a week and wait until ice formed as above stated has disappeared which involves a loss of operational time.

The primary object of the invention is to enable this manual periodical de-icing operation to be eliminated and to provide a novel device ensuring automatic de-icing during the operation of the refrigerator, advantageously following each operational period of the compressor without causing any undue variation in the ambient temperature and without causing melting of the supply of edible ice.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic-de-icing device for household refrigerators of the aforesaid type comprising a spongy absorbent mass arranged in the cooling chamber in contacting relation with the evaporator, said spongy mass being impregnated with water and ice in varying proportions depending upon the phase of the operational cycle so as to constitute a frigorific inertia mass for the refrigerator.

During the operation of the compressor i.e. while freezing energy is produced in the evaporator, icing takes place on the latter, on the freezer walls and on the spongy mass itself, Whereas inside said humid spongy mass water is converted to a larger or lesser ratio into ice. When the compressor is brought to a standstill, the ice that has been formed tends to become converted back into water by deriving from the surrounding atmosphere transfer heat. This also applies to the ice trapped in the spongy mass. The entire phenomenon results in a static refrigeration. The compressor is started again following a more or less prolonged lapse of time which is so adjusted as to cause ice to be sufiiciently converted into water at that time, whereafter a further operational cycle begins. As the spongy mass, owing to its position and nature, collects all the water resulting from the de-icing process, it remains practically saturated and then allows excess Water to escape. Such excess Water may drop off into a conventional de-icing container arranged underneath the freezer. Alternatively it may be sucked by a siphon effect toward a low position, the Water drops trickling from spongy mass being collected in a small size container.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic de-icing device as aforesaid wherein the duration of the entire cycle is set by a thermostat the sensitiveness of which is so adjusted as to provide an operational cycle of suificient duration for achieving the sought result, such thermostat being preferably mounted in the cooling chamber so as to respond to the ambient temperature prevailing in said chamber or alternatively constituted by a thermostat associated with the evaporator and having a feeler which controls the starting of the compressor as the temperature at a selected position of the evaporator becomes positive.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic de-icing device as aforesaid wherein the spongy absorbent mass is constituted by any suitable material, for example sponge-cloth, a synthetic fabric of spongy nature, vegetable, animal or animal sponge, cellulose or the like.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentally appear hereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction and combination of parts shown by the accompanying diagrammatic drawing wherein is represented by way of non-limitative example a suitable embodiment of the same.

FIGURE 1 is a front view showing how the de-icing device according to the invention may be fitted to a household refrigerator of common type.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a constructional modification of the device.

FIGURE 3 is a diagram showing the operational cycle of a refrigerator equipped with the de-icing device according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventional refrigerating circuit.

In the showing of FIG. 1, the refrigerator comprises a cooling chamber 1 delineated by a body 2 having an insulating lagging of known type, a freezing compartment 3 in which are arranged the removable ice molds 4, an evaporator 5 associated with said compartment, hurdles for supporting the commodities to be refrigerated, and a thermostat 7 responding to the ambient temperature.

An absorbent mass 8 made for instance of sponge cloth, partly surrounds the evaporator 5 and the freezing compartment 3. Said absorbent mass is held in position by thongs or cables 9 associated with springs 1i) and surrounding the compartment 3. Advantageously this absorbent mass affords a very large heat exchange surface owing to the provision of prongs, recesses, alveola, perforations or like formations. In the illustrated constructional form, the rear portion of this absorbent mass 8 made of sponge cloth extends downwardly in the shape of a member 111 which behaves as a saturator the lower end of which is situated over a container 12.

A spongy cord 13 or a channel may be provided for facilitating the flow towards the absorbent mass 8 of the water resulting from de-icing of the inner walls of the freezing compartment 3. Alternatively there is provided for that purpose a transverse slot 14 defined in the wall of said compartment. The bottom of said compartment may be also slightly inclined.

The operation of the device is as follows: During the operation of the compressor, freezing energy is produced by the evaporator 5 and icing takes place in known fashion on all the walls the temperature of which is lower than zero degree centigrade which are in contact with the surrounding atmosphere (walls of the evaporator, freezer and surfaces of the spongy mass). When the temperature prevailing in the cooling chamber 1 is sutiiciently low, the thermostat responding to ambiency switches off the compressor. At this moment, the spongy absorbent mass 8 behaves as a frigorific inertia mass for the refrigerator. Ice contained therein is reconverted 3 into water by deriving heat by a static effect from the surrounding. atmosphere. Water which may result from the de-icing process inside the freezing compartment 3 flows towards the spongy mass 8 as indicated in the foregoing and said mass holds water resulting from the melting process.

Ice contained in the molds 4 cannot become molten at that time because such molds are in contact with the bottom of the freezing compartment 3 against which the spongy mass is applied. After a suitable time has elapsed, the compressor is again started and the operational cycle is repeated. This new starting is ensured owing to proper adjustment of the sensitiveness of the thermostat 7. However another thermostat such as may be provided, said thermostat having a feeler associated with the evaporator or the freezing compartment and being adapted to trigger the operation of the compressor only when the temperature prevailing in any position of said compartment becomes positive again.

As de-icing takes place, water resulting therefrom which impregnates the member 11 may evaporate itself in the cooling chamber so as constantly to maintain therein the desired degree of moistness.

In the showing of FIG. 2 is illustrated a further constructional form of the device wherein the cooling chamber 17 is separated from the freezing compartment 18 by a gap 19. A primary evaporator shown at 20 is associated with the compartment 18 while a secondary evaporator 21 is fitted in the cooling chamber 17'. The spongy mass 22 may be applied either against the evaporator 26 or against the evaporator 21 or against both of them.

Another vertically extending spongy absorbent mass 24 is arranged in the rear portion of the cooling chamber and is engaged transversely through the partition 19 for merging with the primary spongy absorbent mass 22, while is lower end is situated over a basin 25. The secondary spongy mass also behaves as a saturator.

In the two constructional forms shown respectively in FIGURE 1 and in FIGURE 2, the spongy absorbent mass may be protected by a grid or a similar element 23 which may be made of any suitable material such as metal, plastic, glass, etc. The protection thus sought might be reached by arranging the absorbent mass 8 in the space or compartment 3 defined between a pair of spaced walls, the ducts leading to the evaporator 5 being integral with said walls.

An ambiency thermostat is shown at 26 and an additional thermostat having a feeler shown at 27 may be optionally associated with it by providing over the one or the other evaporators 20, 21 operating as described in connection with the first constructional form.

In the showing of FIG. 3 is illustrated an operative diagram which indicates the evaporator temperature, times being plotted in abscissae, while temperatures are plotted in ordinates. The operation of the compressor starts at a time, and freezing takes place until the b time. Between a and b water contained in the spongy absorbent mass is more or less completely converted into ice. Following stopping of the compressor the temperature progressively rises to 0 C. said temperature being reached at 0. Between 0 and d there takes place a static operation, substantially as in an ice-box owing to the simultaneous melting of frozen water and ice contained in the spongy mass. Such melting process takes heat from the surrounding atmosphere and prevents fusion of the supply of edible ice contained in the molds 4. At d the operating cycle starts again while de-icing is substantially completed.

In FIG. 4 there are illustrated a compressor in the refrigerating circuit, and a primary and a secondary thermostat controlling the operation of the compressor.

In this figure, 28 diagrammatically designates the compressor, 20 the tubing of the primary evaporator leading from the compressor 28, and 8 is the absorbent mass in contact with primary evaporator 20, 32 are restrictors inserted into the fluid path between the compressor 28 and the primary evaporator 20 and between the latter and the secondary evaporator 21, 34 diagrammatically designates the fluid circuit of the condenser. A fluid reserve tank 33 is connected between the primary evaporator 20 and the condenser 34, and 27 and 26 are primary and secondary thermostats, respectively, of conventional type. The electric circuit connections between the compressor, the thermostats and a source of supply therefor are designated by 37.

Obviously the invention is applicable to any type of evaporator irrespective of its shape, size and location and whether of the open or closed type. Thus the spongy absorbent mass might be held in position by the protecting grid itself which might be associated for that purpose with cables or similar securing members which might for example surround the evaporator.

Minor constructional details may be varied without departing from the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic de-icing device for household corripression refrigerants of the type including a cooling cham-' her, a freezing compartment, a refrigerating circuit through which a freezing agent flows, an evaporator mounted in said cooling chamber in contact with said freezing compartment and interposed in said refrigerating circuit, and a compressor connected to said circuit outside said cooling chamber, said device comprising a spongy ab sorbent mass arranged in substantial contact with the evaporator, mounting means connected to said freezing compartment for mounting said spongy absorbent mass thereon so that said spongy absorbent mass is maintained in contact with said evaporator and said freezing compartment, said mass being impregnated with pure water and ice in varying proportions so as to constitute a frigorific inertia mass for the refrigerator, and a thermostat fitted in said freezing compartment for controlling an intermittent operation of said compressor, said thermostat being adjusted for starting the compressor as the temperature prevailing in said freezing compartment rises above zero degree centigrade.

2. An automatic de-icing device according to claim 1 comprising an extension of said spongy absorbent mass extending into the cooling chamber for constituting a saturator.

3. An automatic de-icing device for household compression refrigerators of the type including a cooling chamber, a freezing compartment, a refrigerating circuit through which a freezing fluid flows, a primary evaporator connected to said circuit and being maintained in contact with the freezing compartment, a secondary evaporator interposed in said circuit and disposed in said cooling chamber, and a compressor connected to said refrigerating circuit outside said cooling chamber, said device comprising a primary spongy absorbent mass maintained in contact with said primary evaporator and impregnated with pure water and ice in varying proportions so as to constitute a frigorific inertia mass, a secondary spongy absorbent mass in contact with the secondary evaporator inside said cooling chamber so as to behave as a saturator, said primary and secondary spongy masses being interconnected, and a thermostat fitted in said cooling chamber for controlling an intermittent operation of said compressor.

4. An automatic de-icing device according to claim 3 wherein said thermostat is so adjusted as to stop the operation of the compressor when the temperature prevailing in the cooling chamber is sufiiciently low and including a second thermostat mounted in said freezing compartment and so adjusted as to start the operation of the compressor as the temperature prevailing in said freez ing compartment rises above zero degree centigrade.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,679,292 Carrey July 31, 1928 1,774,038 Copeman Jan. 21, 1930 5 1,816,638 Copeman July 28, 1931 Ween-1s Apr. 10, 1934 Smith Mar. 9, 1937 Potter Feb. 8, 1938 Riley July 23, 1940 I Potter Oct. 29, 1940 

